Arcade Theatre

The Arcade opened as the first Pantages theatre in Los Angeles on September 26, 1910. Its original seating capacity was 1400. It served Pantages for a decade before the second Pantages was constructed at 7th & Hill. In 1928, it was renamed the Arcade to associate it with the new Broadway Arcade Building and became exclusively at movie theatre. It closed in 1992. The lobby is now a store while the auditorium is still intact minus seats in the lower level. It is now used for storage.

If you stand across the street from this theatre, and look above the marquee. You will see the word Pantages. (ok it’s missing one letter, not bad for 91 years). During the 80’s the Arcade theatre was a grind house (that’s a theatre that runs three to four features in a day. They start around 9am till about 4 or 5am the next day. Metropolitan theatres was the last chain to operate the theatre. Next door Pacific theatres ran the Cameo on a grind operation also. Currently a store runs out of the Arcade’s lobby area. In that move the Arcade lost it’s free standing box office.